This week I’m going to switch it up a little bit, what exactly is my Marvelous in My Monday this week??? Let me just tell you, I found this little gem in my drafts section and forgot how much I wanted to share this post with you all! It is sort of a “Husband’s Birthday Party in Review” instead of (week)? I don’t know if it counts but hey I’m counting it…so read on and enjoy folks, oh yeah and enjoy your Monday!

Needless to inform you but I threw my husband a surprise birthday party it was epic, and here is what I thought….

Links to both linkups I will be involved in this week are below at either Katie’s Marvelous In My Monday linkup or the ever so lovely Megan at her Week In Review linkup….Whatever your pick theres sure someones story to inspire.

It’s no secret that my husband love surprises and loves people. So when thinking about his birthday and christmas this year I thought what better way to celebrate then to have them both combined.

First I noticed a lot of people contributing together to get a bigger gift for someone and therefore being able to get that person one big thing that they want, so when my husband noted that the only gift he really desired was an apple watch I thought what a great way to get him that but also to have the pressure taken off of people not knowing what to get him. Plus I knew it would make his day, maybe entire year, AND I knew that we could not afford that on our own.

I rallied a crew up and we went in to get him the ultimate birthday gift, I then thought what a waste to get this great gift and for them not to be able to share in that moment of giving, so the idea for a surprise party evolved. I also knew that my husband loves any type of surprise and I myself am not very good at them. So I started the process of the ultimate 24th Surprise Birthday Party for my husband.

It wasn’t a long drawn out process but did take some work, there were many calls to be made and MANY Facebook messages to send out, of which I had a lot of fun doing and communicating with people covertly. Sometimes it’s nice that men don’t think like women, so little things like people discreetly talking to me within earshot, and toting a huge awkward box in my purse that totally did not fit, went completely unnoticed by my husband.

Even all the way up to Saturday night, he never suspected a thing, I figured if nothing else it was only November 14th so I had that going for me, it wasn’t even his birth DAY so I knew that I could fall back on that. Funfetti cake was made ahead of time and a group showed up to wish him surprise as well as enjoy a meal all together.

The best part though….

His smile.

Which brings me to Ecclesiastes, I’ve been reading through this book in the Bible, if you don’t know let me give you a brief on the background here. King Solomon a famous and super wealthy king is writing near the end of his reign, reflecting on the entire course of his life. He’s ultimately telling us what he’s learned, and boy is it a lot of good stuff…

First let me quote from Ecc. 8:15…

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

I love what it says here, we’ll experience some happiness, I thought about this for awhile reading and re-reading this quotation and it came to my attention that my husband works so hard, he loves people hard, and he serves the Lord hard.

However it wasn’t that he had a lavish party thrown in his honor that made his face light up, and it wasn’t the expensive present handed to him, it was the joy and contentment of being in a room surrounded by people he loves, loving on him. Fun is a word we throw around a lot but at the root do you really know what that means to you, do you really capture and enjoy the moments, eating and drinking and enjoying all that you are surrounded with on a daily basis. Because you need to, you need to grasp that ‘some’ happiness otherwise it could be a dark place to be here day in and day out only spending a few moments joyful and content.

If we train ourselves to place our minds and spirits in this place we are sure to come back to joy and contentment regardless of the ‘fun’ at hand, or the ‘happiness’ we’re experiencing. Joy and contentment to me come when I am remembering what it’s all for, when I put in the hard work and sit staring at the loved ones surrounding me and my husband’s childish grin at what has just happened. I loved this verse and it helped me pursue even harder for the surprise of my husband. God wants us to be happy and here is King Solomon at the end of his reign letting us all in on his secret, letting us in on what surprise could behold us if we let it.

It’s amazing what things can show up when I take the time to sit and read and dive in deep with God’s word. It’s amazing how awesome and joyful it can be to behold these words even days before a surprise party for my husband and here God speaking right to me letting me know that it’s okay, enjoy, drink, eat, and have fun.